EURONAV

Management of emergencies

The main potential risk for the environment related to the transport of crude oil is the accidental release of cargo into the sea due to breaching the vessel’s containment, as a result of grounding, collision etc. Hence the focus on safety of transportation is paramount in our organization. A wide range of possible emergencies has been identified in the Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental protection (HSQE) Management System.

To deal with possible emergencies the following procedures have been put into place:

  • Emergency and Contingency Manual (ECM) dealing with all possible emergencies in addition to oil pollution;
  • Ship Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) dealing with oil pollution emergencies and the response thereto;
  • Vessel Response Plan (VRP) dealing with oil pollution emergencies and the response thereto in U.S. waters (as required by U.S. law – OPA 90);
  • California Contingency Plan (CCP) dealing with oil pollution emergencies and the response in Californian waters;
  • Panama Canal SOPEP dealing with oil pollution emergencies in Panama Canal;
  • Monthly security drills on board dealing with possible security threats.

Euronav also organizes Table Top Exercises (TTX) on a regular basis.

A range of Table Top Exercises is taking place on a bimonthly basis, with the participation of vessel, shore staff, class societies, flag administrations and other third party members as this may be deemed necessary.